Then, the project was plagued by rumors that Affleck would leave the Batman role and Reeves was developing a prequel Batman film. However, the actor, studio and director maintained Affleck's involvement up until recently. In January, Warner Bros. set The Batman for a 2021 release date and Affleck officially confirmed his exit as Batman. Over the past year, even before Affleck officially stepped away from the role, there have been reports and speculation about who his replacement could be. Armie Hammer and Robert Pattinson are some of the actors more recently linked to The Batman, but going as far back as last summer, Oscar Isaac was tied to a potential Batman movie role. Now the actor has responded to those rumors.

Speaking to Metro about his recent Netflix film, Triple Frontier (in which he co-stars with Affleck), Isaac was asked about the Batman movie rumors. Specifically, it was reported in August 2018 that Isaac had met with Warner Bros. about a role in Reeves' The Batman. When asked if he's the new Batman, Isaac said:

No. I have only read it online like everyone else. I haven’t had any conversations about Batman, unfortunately, but I am sure it is going to be great. Matt Reeves is such a great director. Yeah, he can get my number.

Since Isaac reveals he hasn't met with Warner Bros. about Batman, it appears those previous reports weren't true - at least, not entirely. It's since been confirmed Isaac will co-star in Dune, Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel. That movie is being produced by Legendary Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros., so it's possible the meeting Isaac had last year was for Dune, not The Batman. Nevertheless, Isaac isn't currently in consideration for the role of Bruce Wayne in Reeves' TheBatman, that much seems certain.

Of course, Isaac does appear to be game to join the superhero blockbuster. The actor has some experience with superhero roles, having played En Sabah Nur in X-Men: Apocalypse - though he's since called his experience working on the movie "excruciating" due to the costume and makeup for Apocalypse. Further, Isaac had a small role in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse that paves the way for a bigger part in the sequel. Still, it seems Isaac is also willing to portray a DC movie role and would like to play Batman.

Whether that happens, and whether Isaac is even considered for the role, remains to be seen. If Reeves is looking for a younger star for The Batman, Isaac may not be the right fit. Though he's six years younger than Affleck, that may not be enough for what Reeves has envisioned. That said, since we don't know what exactly Reeves and Warner Bros. are looking for, it's difficult to rule out Isaac entirely. For now, fans will have to wait and see who winds up starring in The Batman.